Wednesday, January 7, 2009

I used to go through certain “phases” during my teen years. If I liked something, I would indulge in it over and over again. I remember that during my first year in university – I was 17 – I couldn’t get enough of a sort of tart sold in the cafeteria. I would eat the damn thing every single day, non stop, to the point of making others sick – come to think of it, I don’t think I would consider that food any good nowadays. :S

I’m no longer 17 – and there are two or three white hairs on my head to prove it – but old habits die hard, I suppose. I have been on a coconut kick since the madeleines and I don’t see it coming to an end any day soon. I have made several recipes with coconut and the fabulous shortbread Peabody posted the other day became my favorite. I made the cookies as a gift, that’s why I fancied them a bit with some icing.

Preheat oven to 165ºC/325ºF. Spread desiccated coconut on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until coconut is light golden, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Cool completely.Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugars in large bowl until well blended. Mix in salt and vanilla. Beat in flour in 2 additions. Stir in toasted coconut. Gather dough together; divide in half. Roll each half into a log and wrap well in baking paper. Set in the fridge for 2 hours to firm up.

To make the icing: preheat oven to 165ºC/325ºF; spread shredded coconut on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until coconut is light golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.Melt the chocolate using a double-boiler or the microwave oven. Dip the cooled cookies in the chocolate, covering them halfway, and immediately roll the wet part into the coconut. Place on a sheet of baking paper and set aside to firm up, about 1 hour, or speed up the process by placing the cookies in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.